FOCH’S LUNCH HOUR

Southland Times, Issue 18077, 2 May 1919, Page 2

FOCH’S LUNCH HOUR

Marshal Foch accepted the chief comdand on two conditions. One was that he should take it over without a moment’s delay; the other that nothing should interfere with his hours of meals and rest. And he suited the action to ,-the word by adjourning at a most critical moment for lunch. After lunch he went straight to Sir Douglas Haig and said that his duty was to stay where he wat at all costa. Then he went to General Debeney, who commanded the army on the right of the British, and said to him: “What you have to do is to forget Paris —think only of Amiens. The danger is that the British may be driven towards the Channel. Even if they are, keep in touch with them, and never mind the consequences.” The world at large had never fully grasped the amazing audacity of the idea, which stupefied the General; and when he told the audience how small the Allied reserve was at the moment it was thriled with retrospective alarm. Before that climax M. Bidou asked the Marshall to what he ascribed the German failure, and the answer was, not hitherto published it is believed, was: “They allowed too much time to pass between each of their offensives, and each one was in a different direction.” Thus their “mass of manoeuvre” loot its freedom of action.